Automatic photo printing-machine.



A. J. FREEMAN.

AUTOMATIC PHOTO PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.11, 1911.

1,036,212, Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. J. FREEMAN.

AUTOMATIC PHOTO PRINTING MAOHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.11,1911.

1 ,086,2 1 2. Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

A. J. FREEMAN.

AUTOMATIC PHOTO PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, 1911.

1,036,212. Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

min 9 fnveja Z501 1 EVE/a0 JfiGWfi (2/2 flaw, 592 f%a% ARTHUR J. FREEMAN, OF PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC PHOTO PRINTING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

Application filed April 11, 1911. Serial No. 620,475.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR J. FREEMAN, citizen of the United States, residing at Petaluma, in the county of Sonoma and State OfCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Photo Printing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for automatically printing photographs.

It is the object of this invention to provide amachine for printing photographs, which embodies means for automatically delivering sensitized sheets to anegative or photographic plate, exposing the sheet and plate to the action of 1i ht rays for a predetermined length of time and removing the printed sheet from the machine.

A further object is to provide means in a machine of the above character for timing or regulating the length of the exposure so as to adapt the machine for printing from negatives of various densities and handling photographic papers of different degrees of sensitiveness to light.

Another object is to provide' a printing frame which is particularly applicable for use in photo printing machines in which the sensitized sheets are automatically fed to and delivered from the ,frame.

The invention'consists of the parts and the construction and. combination of parts, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which v Figure l is a front elevation of the invention with parts removed. Fig. 2 is a detail of the timing device. Fig. 3 is a. detail plan view of the controller with parts broken away. Fig. 4 is a section on the line Y-Y, Fig. 3. ,Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the cam plate and roller. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the invention partly in section and partly broken away. Fig. 7 is a detail of the cam for operating the sheet feeding apparatus. Fig. 8 is a detail of the sheet pick-up device. Fig. 9 is a detail of the adjustable sheet holder. Fig. 10 is an enlarged plan view of the timing device on the line Z-Z, Fig.1. Fig. 11 is an end elevation with parts broken away. Fig. 12 is an enlarged section on the line X-X, Fig. 6, showing the printing frame in detail in closed position. Fig. 13 1s a similar view showing the printing frame in an open position.

In the drawings, A represents a plate on which the various parts comprising my in vention are mounted, this plate being disposed in any desired position, either vertically, horizontally, or inclined, and is here illustrated as vertically arranged for the purpose of explanation.

Mounted in one upper corner of the plate A is a printing frame 2, particularly shown in Figs. 12 and 13; this frame being adapted to be inserted between supporting flanges 3 attached to the plate A. This frame 2 is formed with side members 2, which are slotted or grooved lengthwise, as at at, be tween which side members 2' a plate 5 is slidably mounted, the plate 5 being held in position in the frame 2 by means of a plate spring 6 which is attached to the lower end of the plate 5-and has its outer ends extending within the grooves 4 in the side members 2, and by asimilar spring 7 which is mounted on the upper portion of the frame 2 and extends thereacross and has a roller 8 near its longitudinal center which bears against the face of the plate 5. The front of the frame 2 is covered with a glass plate 9, in the usual manner, which plate may be the negative from which photographic copies are to be made.

Attached to the upper cross member of the frame 2 is a sheet of felt or similar ma terial 10, which is adapted to extend between.

the negative 9 and the outer face of the plate 5, this felt 10 passing around a roller 11 mounted on the lower end of the plate 5. Attached to the freeend of the felt sheet 10 is a tape 12, which passes over a guide l2' formed on the back-of the plate 5, and eX- tending over the upper end of the plate is attached to the upper end of the frame 2, as shown in Fig. 18.

The plate 5 is designed to be reciprocated by means of a lever 13, as will he later described, to alternately cover and uncover the negative 9. The lever 13 is connected to the plate 5 by means of a pin 14, which extends through a slot 15 on one end of the lever 13. The lever13 is fulcrumed at 16, and is attached at its other end to a link 17, which is pivoted to a revoluble disk 18 mounted on the plate A.' The disk 18 is provided with gear teeth on its outer periphery, which teeth 'intermesh with an idler gear 19, which is adapted to be rotated by means of a bevel gear 20 mounted on a shaft 21, which shaft. carries a. clutch member 22 adapted .to-be' engaged by a clutch member 23 on a pulley 24. This pulley 24 is designed to be continuously rotated from a pulley 25 on a drive shaft 26 rotated through a pulley27 from any source of power. The clutch member 23 is designed to benormally held in engagementwith the clutch member 22 by means of a pawl 31 mounted on a reciprocating bar 32.

This bar 32 is connected at its upper end to the lever 13, as shown in Fig. 1 and is op erated thereby. The pawl 31 is limited in its movement in one direction by the bar 32 and is free to move in the other direction in opposition to a spring 34, and is adapted to be actuated by means of a pawl 35, as presently to be described, so as to be disengaged from the lever when the bar 32 is in its uppermost position, and when the clutch member 23 is out of engagement with the clutch member 22, so as to allow spring 28 to throw the clutch member 23 into engagementwith the clutch member 22, and thereby rotate thc'shaft 21.

Mounted on the shaft 26 is a pulley 36, which drives a pulley 37 on a shaft 38, which shaft carries a pair of gears 39 and 40, the gear 40 meshing with a gear 41 on a horizontally disposed shaft 42, and the gear 39 meshing with gear 43 formed on a clutch member 45, loosely mounted and revoluble on the shaft 42, the shaft 42 and thecclutch member being continuously rotated through the gears 39 and 40. The clutch member 45 is designed to be rotated at a high speed, and the shaft 42 at a slow speed, this being accomplished by proporlioning the gears 40--41, and the gears 3943, as illustrated in -l ig. 10.

Loosely mounted on the shaft 42, adjacent to the clutch member 45, is a gear 46,

which meshes with teeth formed on the periphery of a vertically disposed disk 47, which disk is mounted on a sleeve 48, slidable and revoluble upon a shaft 49. Formed on the gear 46 are flanges 50, which are designed to extend-over the outer edges of the disk 4'? on its outer and inner faces in such manner that when the disk 47 is reciprocated on the shaft 49, as later described, the gear 46 will be caused to move therewith.

A. clutch member 51 is formed on one side of the gear 46, which is adapted to'engage which is adapted to be engaged by a clutch member 53 slidably mounted on the shaft 42 and revoluble therewith; a pin 54 on the shaft 42 extending through a slot 54 formed in the clutch member 53, as shown vin Fig. 3.' The clutch member 53 is designed to be normally disposed in its inner most position bymeans of a spring 55 disposed between the outer end of the clutch member 53 and an adjustable collar 56 on the shaft 42, a lever 57 engaging a collar on the clutch member 53 being provided for the purpose of moving the clutch member 53 in opposition to the spring 55 so as to disengage the member 53 from the clutch member 52, the lever 57 being rocked laterally by the downward movementof the bar 32, as later described.

Mounted on the disk 47 and adjustable in a slot'58, formed therein, is a roller 59,

which is designed to travel over they face of a cam disk 60 disposed parallel with the revoluble disk 47. Formed 'on the disk 60 is a projecting portion or cam face 61,.disposed in the path of travel of the roller 59, which projecting portion is peculiarly constructed and designed to cause the disk 47 to be moved backward and forward on the shaft 49 asthe disk is rotated, as later described. The movement of the'disk 47 controls the operation of the clutch member 23 through a lever 62 and also operates a lever 62 which in turn operates a switch 63 controlling the fiow of electric current through a suitable lamp 64 disposed in a housing 65 arranged in front of the negative or plate 9, as shown in Fig. 11.

Mounted on the opposite or rear side of the plate A, is a lever 66, which is fulcrumed on a yoke 67, which yoke is swivelly mounted, as at 68, to admit of a sidewise rocking movement. The inner end of the lever 66 QLEBIldS into a groove 69 formed on the face of a cam disk 70, which disk is connected to, and is adapted to be rotated in unison with, the disk 13 on the opposite side of the plate A. Thecam disk 70, with its groove 69, is so designed as to give the lever 66 certain vertical and horizontal movements, as will presently be described. The outer end of the lever 66 is provided with a suction pick-up device consisting of a cylinder 71, on the lower end of which a rubber rim 72 is mounted, a piston 7 3 mounted on a stem 74 attached to lever 66 being disposed in the cylinder 71, as shown in Fig. 7. A helical spring 75 is disposed between the upper end of the cylinder 71 and the lever 66 to normally retain the cylinder 71 in'its lowermost position.

Situated at a suitable point on the back of the plate A, is a rack 7'6, which is adapted to contain a stack of sensitized sheets 77, this rack being adjustable in relation to the outer end of the lever 66.- The rack 76 is transmitting motion through the here shown as supported on two sides by means of threaded stems 78-79, which are mounted in bearings 80 and are provided with thumb pieces 81 by'means of which the stems 78-79 may be. rotated to move the rack 76, the stem 78 being employed to move the rack 76 in one direction while the stem 79 moves the rack in another direction.

In operation the shaft 26 is constantly totated through the pulley 27 from any suitable source of power so as to transmit constant rotary motion to the clutch member 23, through the pulley 24 and to the clutch members 45 and 53, through the transmission gears 3943 and 40-41 respectively. Assume the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 1, in which the clutch 23 is held out of engagement with the member 22 by means of the lever 30 so that the shaft 21, gears 20, 19 and 18, with the connecting rod 17- and the lever 13 and bar 32 will be stationary, the bar 32 in its uppermost position. The clutch 53 is engaged with the clutch member 52, as shown in Fig. 10, so that the 'gear 46 will be rotated at slow speed, thereby rotating the disk 47 to cause the roller 59 to pass over the cam surface 61. The moment the roller 59 leaves the cam surface 61, the disk 47 is caused to move outward by means of a spring 48' which causes the gear 46 to move out-ward thereby throwing the clutch member 52 out of engagement with the member. 53, and throwng theclutch member 51 into engagement with the member 45, the gear 46 then being rotated at high speed through the transmission gears 39 and 43. As the disk 47 is moved outward .by the action of the spring '48 after the roller 59 has passed the cam surface-61, the lever 62 is rocked on its.

pivotal mountingto move its outer end a short distance, thereby causing pawl 35 on the outer end of the lever 62 to engage the pawl 31 on the bar;32.. This movement of the lever 62 rocks the pawl 31 on its pivotal mounting, in such manner as to withdraw the pawl 31 fromjbenea'th the outer end of the lever 30, which releases the lever 30 and permits-the spring 28 to throw theclutch member 23 into engagement with the member 22, thereby rotatingthe shaft 21 and gears 20, 19 and 18 and the link 17 to the lever 13,

the gear 18 rocking thelever 13 on its piv-v otal mounting 16 in such manner as to draw the plate 5 out of the printin frame 2, as indicated in dotted lines in ig. ,6.- ,This

rocking action of the lever 13 moves the bar I 32 downward, so as to bring a cam surface 83 formed on its lower end in contact with the projecting outer end of the lever 57, thereby rocking the lever 57 so as to move the clutch member 53 some distance in opposition to the spring 55. In the meantime, the disk 47 has been caused to travel around the lower surface of the cam plate 60 at a high speed until the roller 59 rides up a short incline, indicated at 84 in Fig. 2, and passes upon an intermediate elevated surface 85 on the cam surface 61. This causes thedisk 47 and the gear 46 to move backward so as to withdraw the clutch member 51 out of engagement with the, clutch member 45. The clutch member 53 being retained in its innermost position clear of the clutch member 52 by reason of the outward pressure of the bar 32 on the lever 57, the disk 47 will be brought to a momentary stop at this point. The bar 32 on completing its downward movement is returned to its uppermost position, the lever 57 passing over'the cam surface 83 so as to permit the clutch member 53 to move outward into engagement with the clutch 52 on the gear 46, which again causes the disk 47 to'rotate so as to carry the roller 59 up an incline 86 on to the highest surface of the cam 61.

across which the roller 59 and disk 47 will eam mounted integral with the disk 18, is

rotated in such manner as to cause the lever 66, the outer end of which has previously been disposed over the sensitized sheets 77 in the rack 76, to rock on the pivotal mountings 67. Thebuter end of the lever' 66 is moved'downward to bring the pickup device-in contact with the uppermost sheet 77, the rubber rim 72 on the cylinder 71 resting upon the sensitized sheet and thus preventing further downward movement of the cylinder. The outer end of theleverz66 .continues its downward movement a short distance-and causes the piston 73 to force a quantity of air out of the cylinder 71 beneath the rim 72.

The outer end of the lever 66 is then caused to move upward so that the spring 75 pressing against the upper end of the cylinder 71 will cause the latter to move downward on the piston 7 3, thereby creating a suction in the lower end of the cylinder in such manner as to pick up the sheet 77. Continued rotation of the cam 7 0 causes the lever 66 to swing on the swivel .mounting 68 until the outer end of the lever '66 is disposed over the now opened printing frame 2, whereupon the lever 66 is again rocked on the pivot 67 to bring the sensitized sheet 77 in contact with the back of the negative 9 in the printingframe 2. The

plate 5 is then caused to move downwardly y the action-of the lever 13, the roller 11 thereon carrying the felt band 12 across the back of the sensitized sheet 77 in such manner'as to securely retain the latter in a fixed position upon the back of the negative 9,

the lever 66 moving to release the pick-up device the moment the sheet 77 is eld in place on the plate 9 by the pressure of the roller 11 thereagainst. The moment the plate 5 is returned to its closed position on the frame 2, the bar 32 reaches its uppermost position andthe clutch 53 moves'into engagement with the clutch 52 and rotates the disk 47, causing the roller 59 to pass upon the outermost portion of the cam 61. The disk 47 with the sleeve 48 moving in an inward direction causes the lever 62 to operate the switch lever 63 in such manner as to direct an electric current through the lamp 64, thereby directing rays of light upon the face of the negative 9 and exposing the sensitized sheet 77 thereto. The length of this exposure is governed by the length of time consumed by the roller 59 in passing over the cam surface 61, for the moment the roller passes back to the lower surface of the plate the lever 62 operates the switch 63 to cut off the current to the lamp 64. As a means of varying the length of travel of the roller 59 over the cam surface 61, the outer edge of the latter is curved and notched in such manner that when the roller 59 is disposed near the outer edge of the disk 47, its travel across the cam 61 will be short, and when the roller 59 is placed near the center of the disk 47 the time of travel will be long, any intermediate duration of travel being obtained by arranging the position of the roller on the disk 47. This is done by clamping the stem on which the roller 59 is mounted to the disk 47 by means of a thumb nut 59. The face 'of the disk 47 is gaged adjacent the slot 58, as shown at 58 in Fig. 2, and a pointer is mounted on the stem beneath the nut 59' so as to indicate the length of time the roller 59 will consume in passing over the cam surface 61 at different points. When a sheet 7 7 has been exposed to the light for a suflicient length of time, the light is cut 0E and the clutch 23 is again thrown into engagement with the member 22, the clutch 23 being previously thrown out by means of the pawl 31 engaging the lever 30 on the upward movement of the bar 82. The plate 5 being withdrawn from the frame 2 permits the sheet 77 therein to fall from the frame and drop into a chute 87, down which it passes to any suit- 7 able point of discharge.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a photo printing machine which is entirely automatic in its operation, and which can be adjusted to handle photos of various sizes and to print from negatives of different densities.

Having thus described my invention, what I claimnnddesireto secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a machine for printing photos, the combination of a printing frame, a slidable plate in said frame, a lever for reciprocating said plate, a rotatable shaft, means controlled by said rotatable shaft for operatin said lever, a clutch, means for rotating sal d shaft through said clutch, and means connectedvwit-h said lever for throwing the clutch out when the plate is in its innermost position. i

2. In a machine for printing photos, the combination of a printing frame, a slidable plate in said frame, a lever for reciprocating said plate, a rotatable shaft, means controlled by said rotatable shaft for operating said lever, a clutch, means for rotating saidshaft through said clutch, means connected with said lever for throwing the clutch out when the. plate is in its innermost position, a timing device and means controlled by said timing device for throwing the clutch in to cause the plate to move to its outermost position.

3. In a machine for printing photos, the combination of a printing frame, a slidable plate in said frame,'a lever for reciprocatingsaid plate, a rotatable shaft, means controlled by said rotatable shaft for operating said lever, a clutch, means for rotating said shaft through said clutch, means connected with said lever for throwing the clutch outwhen the plate is in its innermost position, means controlled by a timing device for throwing the clutch in to cause the plate to move to its outermost position, said timing device, and means controlled by said rotatable shaft for delivering a sensitized sheet to the printing-frame when said plate is in its outermost position.

4-. In a machine for printing photos, the combination fo a printing frame, a slidable plate in said frame, a lever for reciprocating said plate, a rotatable shaft, means controlled by said rotatable shaft for operating said lever, a clutch, means for rotating said shaft through said clutch, means connected with said lever for throwing the clutch out when the plate is in its innermost position,. means controlled by a timing device for throwing the clutch in to cause the plate to move to its outermost position, said timing device, means controlled by said rotatable shaftfor delivering a sensitized sheet to the printing frame when said plate is in its outermost position, and means controlled by the timing device for exposing to light rays said sensitized sheet.

5. In a machine for printing photos, the combination of a printing frame, a slidable plate in said frame, a lever for reciprocating said plate, a rotatable shaft, means controlled by said rotatable shaft for operating said lever, a clutch, means for rotating said shaft through said clutch, means connected with said lever for throwing the clutch out when the plate is in its innermost position, means controlled by a timing device for throwing the clutch in to cause the plate to move in its outermost position, said timing device, means controlled by said rotatable shaft for delivering a sensitized sheet to the printing frame when said'plate is in its outermost position, means controlled by the timing device for exposing to light rays said sensitized sheet, and means for adjusting said timing device to regulate the length of said exposure.

6. In a machine for printing photos, the combination of a printingframe, a slidable plate in said frame, a lever for reciprocating said plate, a rotatable shaft, means controlled by said rotatable shaft for operating said lever, a clutch, means for rotating said shaft through said clutch, means connected with said lever for throwing the clutch out when the plate is in its innermost position, means controlled by a timing device for throwing the clutch in to cause the plate to move to its outermost position, said timing device, means controlled by said rotatable shaft for delivering a sensitized sheet to the printing frame when said plate is in its outermost position, means controlled by the timing device for exposing to light rays the sensitized sheet, means for adjusting said timing device to regulate the length of said exposure, and means for discharging the printed sheet from the frame.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. I

ARTHUR J. FREEMAN.

Witnesses A. RODGERS, (at. W. LIBBY. 

